REMARKS BY SENATOR HUBERT H. HUMPHREY LEWIS INTERPRETIVE CENTER OPENING SAUK CENTRE, MINNESOTA JUNE 15, 1975

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1 REMARKS BY SENATOR HUBERT H. HUMPHREY SINCLAI~ LEWIS INTERPRETIVE CENTER OPENING SAUK CENTRE, MINNESOTA JUNE 15, 1975 I am pleased to be back with you today to join you in the grand opening and dedication of the new Sinclair Lewis Interpretive Center. I know the effort every one of you put into building this fine facility, and you can be very proud of the results. I feel certain that if Sinclair Lewis were alive today, he would be gratified. Writers, and especially journalists, seem to have been amused that we here in Minnesota and in Sauk Centre should be honoring this native son of ours who was the first American writer to win the Nobel Prize. There really is no cause for amusement. Sinclair Lewis criticized the foibles of Sauk Centre and of other towns in Main Street. But, his criticism was laced with love and admiration for the strengths of Sauk Centre and its citizens. Like most folks who grew up in small towns and went elsewhere to find their fortunes, he chose his home town as his final resting place. Like Carol in Main Street, he learned that small towns and the people who populate them are good and decent, and that their defects are at least matched, if not overshadowed, by their virtues. As our Nation begins to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founding, I am particularly pleased by the efforts of our fine citizens in Minnesota to make this celebration both a meaningful memorial to our past and a living testimony to our future. Nothing could be more appropriate than the efforts of the citizens of Sauk Centre to build this interpretive center. This center, through exhibits and audiovisual displays, takes a visitor through the Main Street about which Sinclair Lewis wrote, to the writing desk at which he worked, and on a short journey through Sinclair Lewis' five major novels Main Street, Babbit, Elmer Gantry, Arrowsmith, and Dodsworth. The Center will also house a soundandslide show summar1z1ng the history of Sauk Centre and provide information on a walking tour to Sauk Centre's points of interest. I want to pay special tribute to the people of Sauk Centre, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minnesota Department of Highways for their joint efforts in making this center a reality. I especially want to single out the citizens of Sauk Centre for their vision and community spirit. It was your idea to build an interpretive center convenient to both the local citizentry and passersthrough. It was your idea to combine in this center a historical museum, through which people could come to understand Sinclair Lewis and the small town which was to have such a lasting influence on him. This rest stop for weary travelers is much in spirit like that which Sinclair Lewis' mother established in Sauk Centre and which the good women of Gopher Prairie established in their home town. It was your hard work which made this effort a reality. My good friends Pat DuBois and Bill McDonald have told me all about your efforts. I know that all of youmen, women and children have chipped in, held variety shows, had bake sales, and rung

2 ... 2 doorbells to make this center a reality. I am proud and honored by your example, but in all honesty, I would have expected no less. Sauk Centre is Main Street America. It is the spirit of America, the spirit which says that if we work together, we can solve our problems and make a better tomorrow for our children. But, I don't think I need to dwell on the importance of community spirit with youyou know what it is and practice it. Community spirit is as alive in rural America today as it was 200 years ago when our nation was founded. I feel certain that this center, and the Boyhood Horne which we worked together to restore, will make an important contribution to our heritage. The Boyhood Home has already won national acclaim. I am certain this Interpretive Center will also become a national source of pride.. Together with the Horne, it will enable Americans from all sections of our nation and visitors from abroad to understand Sinclair Lewis, and to comprehend the America about which he wrote. After viewing these fine exhibits, I am confident that our visitors will understand why Sinclair Lewis said, "This is America." # # # I# # II

3 ~ ~~?'P~ SAUK CENTRE, MINNESOTA JUNE s, 1975

4 I AM PLEASED r ea.. P!:IePr=:i ti 1 ili&=/lili illbb"'jiait TO JOIN ~IN THE GRAND OPENING AND DEDICATION OF THE NEW SINCLAIR LEWIS INTERPRETIVE G~ ~ WRITERS/ AND ESPECIALLY JOURNALISTS' SEEM TO HAVE BEEN AMUSED THAT WE HERE IN MINNESOTA AND IN SAUK CENTRE SHOULD BE HONORING THIS NATIVE SON OF OURS WHO WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN WRITER TO WIN THE NoBEL PRIZE. "f.11~ae RI!Atli to ftl:(l r:ntute rer l:f1lmef1~t. ~~~... ~ru SINCLAIR LEWIS CRITICIZED THE FOIBLES OF SAUK CENTRE AND OF ~ OTHER TOWNS IN MAIN STREET, BuT, HIS CRITICISM WAS LACED WITH LOVE AND ADMIRATION FOR THE STRENGTHS OF SAUK CENTRE AND ITS CITIZENS. ~ 1

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6 2 LIKE MOST FOLKS WHO GREW UP IN SMALL TOWNS AND WENT ELSEWHERE TO FIND THEIR FORTUNES) HE CHOSE HIS HOME TOWN AS HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE.~IKE CAROL IN MAIN STREET) HE LEARNED THAT SMALL TOWNS AND THE PEOPLE WHO POPULATE THEM ARE GOOD AND DECENT, AND THAT THEIR DEFECTS ARE AT LEAST MAT~ED) IF NOT OVERSHADOWED, BY THEIR V~RTUE!:(j)) r~~~ (As OUR NATION BEGINS TO CELEBRATE THE 200TH ANNIVERSAR1 (tit l b I IU:JJ'5ttcj I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED BY :HE FFORTS OF OUR FINE CITIZENS IN MINNESOTA TO MAKE THI~ CELEBRATION BOTH A MEANINGFUL MEMORIAL TO OUR PAST AND A LIVING TESTIMONY TO OUR FUTURE, ~N OTHING COULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE THAN THE EFFORTS OF THE. ' ' ' ( UA.ili:() CITIZENS OF SAUK CENTRE TO BUILD THIS INTERPRETIVE CENTER,I:..HIS CENTER, THROUGH EXHIBITS AND AUDIOVISUAL DISPLAY~ TAKES A VISITOR. THROUGH THE MAIN STREET ABOUT WHICH SINCLAIR LEWIS WROTE/ TO THE

7 3 WRITING DESK AT WHICH HE WORKED, AND ON A SHORT JOURNEY THROUGH SINCLAIR LEwts' FIVE MAJOR NOVELs MAIN STREET, B.Aa~ri, ELMER GANTRY I ARROWSMl Tli AND D.ODSWORTH L. THE CENTER WILL ALSO HOUSE A SOUNDANDSLIDE SHOW SUMMARIZING THE HISTORY OF SAUK CENTRE AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ON A WALKING TOUR TO SAUK CENTRE'S POINTS OF INTEREST. ~I WANT TO PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO THE PEOPLE OF SAUK CENTRE, THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY/ AND THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS FOR THEIR JOINT EFFORTS IN MAKING THIS CENTER A REALITY. ~ I ESPECIALLY WANT TO SINGLE OUT THE CITIZENS OF SAUK CENTRE FOR THEIR VISION AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT(IT WAS YOUR IDEA TO BUILD AN INTERPRETIVE CENTER CONVENIENT TO BOTH THE LOCAL CITIZENTRY AN~ P 0 ff[rr f!ir8ufitl.a. =

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9 4 A IIJIIC~ F lf6.la~iiti N '#P IT WAS YOUR IDEA TO COMBINE IN THIS CENTER~A HISTORICAL MUSEUM, THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE COULD COME TO UNDERSTAND SINCLAIR LEWIS AND THE SMALL TOWN WHICH WAS TO HAVE SUCH A LASTING INFLUENCE ON HIM. ~THIS REST STOP FOR WEARY TRAVELERS IS MUCH IN SPIRIT LIKE THAT WHI.CH St.NCLA I R LEW I S I MOTHER ESTABL ISHED IN SAUK CENTRE AND WHI.CH THE GOOD WOMEN OF GOPHER PRAIRIE "ESTABLISHED IN THEIR HOME TOWNe ~IT WAS YouR HARD WORK WHICH MADE THIS EFFORT A REALITY, ~ GOOD FRIENDS PAT DuBOIS AND BILL McDONALD HAVE TOLD ME ALL.. ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS I ~ KNOW THAT ALL OF YOUMEN, WOMEN AND CHI LOREN HAVE CHIPPED IN, HELD VARIETY SHOWS, HAD BAKE SALES, AND RUNG D~LLS TO MAKE THIS CENTER A REALITY,~! AM PROUD AND HONORED BY YOUR EXAMPL~ BUT IN ~L HONESTY/ l WOULD HAVE EXPECTED NO LESS,

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11 5 SAUK CENTRE IS MAIN STREET AMERICA. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA, THE SPIRIT WHICH SAYS THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS AND MAKE A BETTER TOMORROW FOR OUR CHILDREN.~ () ~ ~... ~, 'f!i*'f..;_,~,.~,.:,ij;:;; ~BUT, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO DWELL ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT WITH YOUYOU KNOW WHAT IT IS AND PRACTICE IT. ~CoMMUNITY SPIRIT IS AS ALIVE IN RURAL AMERICA TODAY AS IT WAS 200 YEARS AGO WHEN OUR NATION WAS FOUNDED, ~ FEEL CERTAIN THAT THIS CENTE~, AND THE BOYHOOD HOME WHICH ~ORKED TOGETHER TO RESTORE) WILL MAKE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION I ~~o... TO OUR HERITAG~(_ THE~BOYHOOD HOME HAS ALREADY WON NATIONAL ACCLAIM. I AM CERTAIN THIS INTERPRETIVE CENTER WILL ALSO BECOME A NATIONAL SOURCE OF PRIDE~TOGETHER WITH THE HoME~ IT WILL ENABLE AMERICANS FROM ALL SECTIONS OF OUR NATION AND VISITORS FROM ABROAD TO

12 6 UNDERSTAND SINCLAIR LEWIS, AND TO COMPREHEND THE AMERICA ABOUT WHICH HE WROTE. AFTER VIEWING THESE FINE EXHIBITS, I AM CONFIDENT THAT OUR VISITORS WILL UNDERSTAND WHY SINCLAIR LEWIS SAID, ''THIS IS AMERICA." ;; ;: ;; : : ;.

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